1997 CHEVROLET EXPRESS check engine light

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries
out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently
as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked
into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure
to install the fuel cap properly. It
will take a few driving trips
to turn the light off.
Have
you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel” in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not
to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this
as stalling after start-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once
the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change
the fuel brand you use. It will require at least one
full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has
the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to
fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
2-56

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Check Gages Light
The CHECK GAGES light
will come on briefly when
you are starting the engine.
CHECK
GAGES
Fuel Gage
UNLEADED
FUEL ONLY
The fuel gage, when the
ignition
is on, tells you
about how much fuel you
have
left in your tank.
If the light comes on and stays on while you are driving,
check your coolant temperature and engine oil pressure
gages to see if they are in
the warning zones. The gage
will first.indicate EMPTY
(E) before you
are out of fuel, and you should get more fuel as soon
as possible.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Power Antenna Mast Care (If Equipped)
Your power anteilfia will look its best and work well if
it’s cleaned from time to time.
To clean the antenna
mast:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Turn on the ignition and radio to raise the antenna.
Dampen
a clean cloth with mineral spirits or
equivalent solvent.
Wipe the cloth over the mast sections, removing
any dirt.
Wipe dry with
a clean cloth.
Make
the antenna go up and down by turning the
radio or ignition
off and on.
Repeat if necessary.
I NOTICE:
Don’t lubricate the power antenna. Lubrication
could damage it.
I
NOTICE:
Before entering an automatic car wash, turn off
your radio to make the power antenna go down.
This will prevent the mast from possibly getting
damaged.
If the antenna does not go down when
you turn the radio off, it may be damaged
or
need to be cleaned. In either case, lower the
antenna by hand by carefully pressing the
antenna down.
If the mast portion of your antenna is damaged, you can
easily replace it. See your dealer for a replacement kit
and follow the instructions in the kit.
Adjustable Mast Antenna
The mast should be fully retracted before entering
any automated wash facility to minimize the risk of
antenna damage.
If the mast should ever become slightly bent, you can
straighten
it out by hand. If the mast is badly bent, as it
might be by vandals,
you should replace it.
Check every once in a while to be sure the antenna is
still tightened to the body side panel.
3-28

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts -- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear
out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you
will
eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder
to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When
you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You may
hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on. This is normal.
ANTI -
LOCK
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay
on.
See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” in
the Index.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here are some tips on night driving.
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Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since
you can’t see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
Slow down, especially
on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull
off the road in a safe place and
rest.
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light
to see the
same thing
at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do
in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example,
if you spend the day in bright
sunshine
you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will have
less trouble adjusting
to night. But if you’re
driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they also make
a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes
to readjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who
doesn’t lower the high beams, or
a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt
on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when
you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier
to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim,
so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and
aren’t
even aware of it.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You’ll
want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals. Here
are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
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Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city map and plan your trip into
an
unknown part of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You’ll save time and energy. (See the
next part, “Freeway Driving.”)
Treat a green light as a warning signal.
A traffic light
is there because the corner is busy enough to need it.
When a light turns green, and just before you start to
move, check both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection or may be running the
red light.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When
you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back
up. Drive on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer,
not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend
to think you are going
slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a
Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when
you’re not fresh -- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of
the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready
to go. If it needs
service, have
it done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts in
GM dealerships all across North America. They’ll be
ready and willing to help
if you need it.
Here are some things
you can check before a trip:
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Windsh.ield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full?
Are all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weuther Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a
short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
4-21

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded. Use a flashlight
if
you need more light.
Be sure the batteries have enough water.
You
don’t need to add water to the Delco Freedom@
battery (or batteries) installed in every new
GM
vehicle. But if a battery has filler caps, be sure
the right amount of fluid is there.
If it is low, add
water to take care
of that first. If you don’t,
explosive gas could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get it on you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or
on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation. If they do,
you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged, too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some basic
things you should know. Positive
(+) will go to
positive
(+) and negative (-) will go to an unpainted
metal engine
part or a body metal surface. Don’t
connect positive
(+) to negative (-) or you will get a
short that would damage the battery and maybe other
parts, too. And don’t connect the negative
(-) to
negative
(-).
A CAUTION: 1
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep
your hands away from moving parts
once the engine
is running. -1